Maga Puella Lamiarum Venator Nodoka
by NightmareSyndrom
Summary: Magic comes in many types. To become a magical girl in return for your greatest wish being granted. I must ask you. Is it worth it?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

* * *

><p>Early morning at Mahora Academy was a peaceful time. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but all of this just the calm before the storm. For in less then half an hour, it would be a time that all the less athletic students dreaded. <em><strong>The Stampede<strong>_, when almost every one was in a mad rush to get to their classes before the late bell. At that time it was every student and teacher for themselves.

Nodoka shuddered at the memory. After her first time getting caught in _**The Stampede**_ she swore to get to class before it started from then on. That week with crutches was not fun. This was why she was walking to school so early. Unfortunately, Yue had a morning shift at the library and Haruna was behind schedule on her manga, so she was all alone.

"_Nodoka Miyazaki"_

"Huh?" Nodoka gasped in surprise as she looked around. She thought she heard someone call out to her, but she was the only person she could see.

"_Look a little lower."_ The voice said.

Looking down, Nodoka saw a… well she wasn't sure what it was. It looked almost ermine like, with snow white fur and blood red eyes, but the strangest thing about it was it had what looked like rabbit ears wearing hoop earrings coming out of his ferret ears.

Suddenly a chibi Haruna appeared in her mind and spoke. "Yo dawg, we heard you like listening ta things, so we put ears in yo' ears. That way you can hear things while ya hear things."

"_I am not quite sure how I should respond to that."_ The voice said as the ermine creature in front of her blinked.

"A-are you t-the one speaking to me?" Nodoka asked nervously as crouched down to look at the ermine creature in the eyes.

"_Correct."_ The voice conformed. _"My name is Sanbey. I am here to offer you a contract."_

"A contract?" Nodoka asked as she tilted her head in confusion. "What kind of contract?"

"_In exchange for granting you a wish, you would become a magical girl._" Sanbey told her.

"Any wish?" Nodaka said in wonder. Could this really be happening? A strange creature appearing before her offering to grant her her heart's desire and give her magical powers seemed to be too surreal to be true.

"_Yes this could be happening and it is."_ Sanbey answered.

"But don't magical girls fight monsters?" Nodoka pointed out. "There are plenty of girls on campus that are better suited for that than me."

"_Nonsense,"_ Sanbey stated. _"I sense a great magical potential in you."_

"I'm just an ordinary girl." Nodoka tried to deny. It was then that she noticed the clock tower and realized she had less then ten minutes until _**The Stampede**_. "I'm sorry but I really must be going!"

As Nodoka ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she was unaware of Sanbey trotting after her.

* * *

><p><em>Later that night<em>

Nodoka suddenly awoke with a start. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her own bed back at her dorm room. But how did she get here? The last thing she could remember was walking alone down Sakura Lane.

"You're awake." spoke the voice of her roommate, Yue Ayase, who was sitting in chair next to her bed.

"Yue-chan, how…?" Nodoka asked as she tried to figure out was going on.

"Asuna brought you here." Yue explained. "She said she found you passed out on Sakura Lane. Apparently, you let the classes' stories get to you."

Well, that made sense. When word of Makie being found unconscious reached Class 3-A, most of the class made a fuss. Everyone was claiming that it was the work of magic and vampires. Her mind must have gone into overdrive bring up all those rumors at once as she walked down the already creepy Sakura Lane. That also explained those strange dreams about a strange creature offering her magical powers and Negi-sensei using magic to save her from a vampire, who looked suspiciously like one of her classmates.

"_Those were not dreams."_

Nodoka's head moved to face the dresser on top of which sat Sanbey, who was staring straight at her.

"What's wrong?" Yue asked with concern as she tried to see what Nodoka was looking at.

"Huh? But..I…He?" Nodoka mumbled as her head swiveled back and forth between her roommate and the creature repeatedly. She stopped only when Yue grabbed her head.

"You don't seem to have a fever." Yue stated as she put her hand to Nodoka's forehead. "Maybe you shouldn't go to classes tomorrow just in case."

"No. I'm fine!" Nodoka protested with an almost raised voice. Almost being the keyword there.

"You shouldn't push yourself." Yue told her with concern clearly on her face. "If you're worried about the other girls, I'll make sure they keep their hands off of sensei."

"Al-Alright." Nodoka conceded. She never had much of what some would call 'spine', but when faced with her closest friend she had absolutely no resistance.

"Good night, Nodoka-chan." Yue said as she climbed into her bed.

"Good night, Yue-chan." Nodoka replied as she lay down. She glanced at Sanbey wondering why her roommate didn't react to the creature.

"_She does not react to my presence because she can not see me."_ Sanbey told her.

"What?" Nodoka eeped out in surprise.

"Something wrong?" Yue called from her bunk.

"Um, no. It's nothing." Nodoka answered.

"_Please think what you want to say to me. That way you would not disturb your roommate."_ Sanbey suggested.

"_L-Like this?"_ Nodoka 'thought' at Sanbey.

"_Yes. Although I don't believe I have seen someone stutter in their thoughts before meeting you."_ Sanbey answered as he leapt off the dresser and walked over to her bed.

"_I-Is this telepathy?"_ Nodoka asked as Sanbey leapt onto her bed.

"_Correct. It is also how I knew your name when we first met."_ Sanbey replied as her looked into her eyes.

"_Why is it that Yue can't see you?"_ Nodoka thought as she was slight unnerved be the fact that she was an open book to this creature.

"_Only those with the potential to become Puella Magi can see me. A Puella Magi is a type of magical girl that hunts Witches. Witches are magical monsters that sustain themselves with Grief. Many suicides are due to Witches making people wallow in despair until they can no longer take it_." Sanbey explained, answering most of her questions before they could fully form.

"_You mentioned a contract earlier."_ Nodoka remembered.

"_Yes. For agreeing to become a Puella Magi, you will get one wish granted."_

"_One wish, huh?"_ Nodoka thought as sleep began to take her. "Negi-sensei."

Sanbey curled up on her chest and joined her in the land of nod.

* * *

><p>The next morning saw Yue, who was in her uniform, and Nodoka, who was still in her pajamas, eating breakfast. Nodoka had tried to argue that she was fine but Yue would have none of it. All the while, Nodoka was mentally debating whether she should tell Yue about Sanbey. Telling your roommate about a magical creature that only you can see offering you magical powers, while said roommate thinks something might be wrong with you probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.<p>

Suddenly, the door to their room burst open. In walked the third member of their trio, Haruna 'Paru' Saotome.

"GOOD MORNING MAHORA!" Haruna shout in English. "Are you guys ready for Operation: Hook Nodo-chan up with Negi-sen-" She cut herself off when she noticed Nodoka's attire. "Huh? What's going on?"

"_This is the girl you imagined making a comment about my ears, is it not?"_ Sanbey asked.

"_Um, yeah."_ Nodoka replied as she took a bite out of her food.

"Nodoka passed out on Sakura Lane." Yue explained to Haruna.

"No way!" Haruna exclaimed before grabbing Nodoka by the shoulders. "You got attacked by the vampire! Detail! Details!"

"Haruna she-"

"A classmate." Nodoka answered, cutting off Yue's chastisement of Haruna. "I-It looked like one of our classmates, b-but I can't remember who."

"N-No way!" Haruna shouted in shock. "Our class has always been like a family! An A girl would never attack another A girl!"

"Hmm." Yue hmmed in thought. "Come to think of it, Asuna was the one who brought you back. What was she doing out that late if she had work in the morning?"

"Wait. You mean Asuna's the vampire?" Haruna asked as she turned to Yue.

"I'm saying something doesn't add up." Yue replied as she headed for the door. "See you later, Nodoka-chan."

"Good by, Yue-Chan, Haruna-chan." Nodoka replied.

"Later, Nodo-chan." Haruna called out as she closed the door.

"_Have you thought about your wish?"_ Sanbey asked as he began to eat Yue's scraps.

"Y-yes. I have." Nodoka answered with a nod. "I don't want to be a burden. I want to be able to stand up to my fears. I want to be able to protet others instead of being someone who needs protecting. But most importantly, I want to be someone Negi-sensei can depend on!"

"_The contract has been accepted."_ Sanbey said as he leapt into the air did a twirl and landed on Nodoka's head. _"This will only hurt for a moment."_

Before Nodoka could ask what he meant, Sanbey's ears pieced through her chest.

* * *

><p>Omake<p>

"Negi-sensei, if it is a partner you desire, allow me to-" Ayaka's speech was cut off as a book collided with her head.

"Iincho, as class representative it is your job to maintain order, not cause it." Yue scolded.

"Dang, Yue. Have you ever thought about being a judge?" Misora quipped.

"Why did you have a copy of Twilight?" Ako asked as she picked up the thrown book.

"It is the only book I can bring myself to misuse in such a manner." Yue answered as she pulled several more copies out of her bag. "Now can we please continue the lesson without anymore out burst?"

It took a lot of effort for Chisame to stop herself from throwing herself at Yue's feet and offering the girl undying praise.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

Extra Special Thanks to Iniquitus The Third for translating for me!

And another Thanks to No Limit and Japanese Teeth for helping come up with Nodoka's Puella Magi outfit, and Sinclair for pointing out an error in the title.

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><p>"<em>I should have anticipated this."<em> Sanbey thought aloud.

In Nodoka's hands was a purple gem that Sanbey had just pulled from her. It was currently shining bright enough to light up the whole room.

"A-Anticipate what?" Nodoka asked as she inspected the gem. "And what is this?"

"_That is a Soul Gem."_ Sanbey told her. _"Not only is that a gauge of you mana, it is also your primary way of tracking Witches."_

"I'm supposed to use this to track Witches? How?" Nodoka wondered as she placed the Soul Gem on the table.

"_It glows when it picks up a Witch's magic." _Sanbey answered as he continued to eat Yue's leftovers. Nodoka froze.

"B-but i-its glowing right now." Nodoka pointed out nervously.

"_Yes." _Sanbey said with a nod. _"But not because of a Witch. It seems to be picking up the magic from the giant tree."_

"The World Tree?" Nodoka guessed as she began getting dressed.

"_I believe that is what you humans call, yes."_ Sanbey answered. _"It radiates magic. So much magic that your Soul Gem will probably be picking it from anywhere on campus."_

"Th-then what sh-should I do?" Nodoka asked as she finished putting on a casual outfit of a modest mid-thigh dress and a pair of sandals.

"_You will just have to hunt Witches off campus."_ Sanbey told her as he finished eating. _"Once you get the feel of the differences of a Witches Magic and the World Tree's magic, you should be able to filter out the tree's magic." _

"So I have to go into town?" Nodoka reasoned as she picked up her Soul Gem.

"_Correct."_ Sanbey answered. _"Fortunately, your roommate did not want you in class. This is good opportunity to go Witch hunting."_

"But what about…?" Nodoka trailed off as she held up the still brightly glowing Soul Gem.

"_Now would be a good time for you to use one of the basic powers of a Puella Magi,"_ Sanbey stated, "_Transmutation."_

"You mean turning something into something else?" Nodoka asked for clarification.

"_Correct. It is one of the basic powers all Puella Magi possess."_ Sanbey explained. "_Just touch an object and focus on what shape you want it to take."_

Nodoka stared at the brightly glowing gem in hers hands think about what would be a good inconspicuous object. She idly wondered why the light wasn't hurting her eyes, as if she was wearing a pair of tinted glasses.

Suddenly the Soul Gem in her hands glowed white in stead of purple and began to change shape. When the glowing stopped, the Soul Gem was now a pair of reading glasses with purple tinted lenses.

"_Well done."_ Sanbey congratulated. For a moment Nodoka thought he sounded impressed. _"You could say that."_

"U-um why?" Nodoka asked with a fierce blush as she had forgotten the creature before her could read her mind.

"_From what I have noticed other Puella Magi prefer to disguise their Soul Gems as jewelry."_ Sanbey told her. _"While effective at concealing the Soul Gem, it prevents them from using its tracking properties. What you have done not only conceals it, but allows you to use it for its intended purpose at the same time."_

Nodoka stared in wonder at the glasses in her hands. She had made them by complete accident. Where they really that incredible? Suddenly, a chibi Haruna appeared in her mind and spoke "Since they're a pair of specs and they were made from a Soul Gem, they should totally be called Soul Specs!"

"_You must be really close with Haruna if you can keep imagining how she would react."_ Sanbey noted.

Nodoka responded with a nod. The Library Trio, as their classmates had dubbed them, had always been close friends ever since they first met. Nodoka began to wonder what Haruna would do if she was offered the contract. Nodoka's faced turned red before paling considerable as her mind conjured naughty and horrible images, several of which involved tentacles.

_"That girl is to never find out about the contract."_ Sanbey stated.

"Agreed." Nodoka agreed with a nod.

* * *

><p>Haruna 'Paru' Saotome fidgeted in her seat. Her gaze was locked on the door of the classroom. Her odd behavior drew the attention of her classmates as did the absence of one of the members of the 'Library Trio.' She ignored them, which caused most of class 3-A to mutter amongst themselves and create theories as to why Haruna was acting so un-Haruna like. She didn't care.<p>

Haruna was _pissed. _Someone had dared to attack Nodoka, her Nodo-chan! That was bad enough, but that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst part was the culprit was a member of Class 3-A. Hadn't they always been family? Had they not formed bonds throughout all these years? She had always liked to think so, but it seemed there was desertion in the ranks. There was a traitor among them. When she found out who, they would pay. Pay with their _**blood**_! But for now she waited. She needed answers, and there was only one person who had them. So until that person entered the room, she waited.

As soon as Asuna walked through the door, Haruna let out a yell that startled all of her classmates as she leapt from her desk. She hit the paper girl with a flying tackle that brought both of them to the floor.

"WHO DID IT!" Haruna shouted as she straddled Asuna. Such was the anger in her voice most of her class mates dared not move nor ask her what she was talking about.

"Who did what?" Asuna snapped as she tried to get the artist of her with little success.

"WHO ATTACKED NODO-CHAN!" Haruna roared as she gripped the pinned girl's hair and pull. "TELL ME! I KNOW YOU KNOW!"

The dam suddenly burst. The almost the entirety of Class 3-A erupted into chatter. Everyone began spreading rumors about what could have happened.

"Please, Saotome-san, calm down!" Negi said as he tried to be heard over the class' racket.

"NOT UNTIL I KNOW WHO!" Haruna roared.

"Ow! Ow! I have-ow!-no idea what ow! you're talking about!" Asuna snapped. Getting fed up with the abuse she punched Haruna in the gut, knocking the wind out of the artist.

"Unlikely." Yue said. Her face betrayed no emotion. "You were the one to find her on Sakura Lane."

"WHAT!" most of Class 3-A cried out.

"The vampire stuck again!" Misa cried out.

"Poor, Honya." Ako muttered.

"S-So what if I found her? That doesn't mean I know what happened to her!" Asuna countered.

"I'm curious as to why you were even out that late in the first place." Yue asked. "Didn't you have work this morning?"

"Wh-what are saying?" Asuna snapped. "You're making it sound like _I'm_ the vampire!"

"Nodoka recognized it as one of our classmates." Yue stated. All of Class 3-A froze at that statement.

"O-one of us?" Misora asked in horror.

"N-No, that can't be." Akira denied.

"I knew this class was full of freaks, but this…" Chisame muttered.

"Wait a second!" Fuuka cried out. "What was it that Eva-san said yesterday?"

"_Vampires love energetic girls like you, Kagurazaka. I'd be careful if I was you because you might be next."_

"Where is Eva-san, anyway?" Misa asked.

"Actually," Chachamaru stated as she walked in the door, "she told me to inform sensei that she would not be coming to class today."

Something inside Haruna clicked.

"_**EVANGELINE!"**_ Haruna roared as she stood up.

Despite her sensei's protests, Haruna ran out the door as the late bell rang. She darted through the halls with only one goal in mind. Find Evangeline A.K. McDowell and make her pay.

"Where do you think you're going?" a faculty member carrying a stack of books asked as she ran towards him.

"_**THERE WILL BE BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"**_ Haruna shouted. Her voice sounded as if she was channeling Satan himself, as the flames of Hell burn intensely in her eyes.

* * *

><p>Nodoka was nervous. For the first time she could remember she was skipping classes. She was currently walking the busy streets of Tokyo with Sanbey perched on her shoulder. They were heading to the seemingly always bustling shopping district. The shy girl had heard rumors that other girls skipped classes to come there all the time. She couldn't imagine why. She had a better reason for doing it than simply wanting to get out of class, and she still felt so… naughty.<p>

The reason they were heading there was because of her Soul Specs. Sanbey underestimated just how much magic the Wolrd Tree had. She was still picking it up until they left the town entirely. Once the World Tree was finally out of range, the Soul Specs began to tint her vision like any ordinary pair of tinted glasses. The process of finding a Witch had simply become walk in whatever direction her vision looked normal.

The process had led them to an old alleyway. Nodoka blinked to try and make sure she wasn't seeing things. On one of the alley walls was a glowing ornate symbol that looked like it was made of bamboo.

"_That's the entrance to a Witch's Barrier."_ Sanbey explained her. _"Witches hide themselves away in magical labyrinths so they would not be noticed by most people. Just touching the symbol should enter you into the Witch's Barrier."_

Nodoka did as she was told, if rather hesitantly. As soon as she put her hand on the symbol, her vision blurred. No longer was she in an alleyway in busting Tokyo. Instead she was in a grove filled with bamboo thickets.

"_Now would be a good time to prepare for battle."_ Sanbey told her. _"While the Witch is going to be at the center of the barrier, its Familiars will be scattered throughout it."_

"Familiars?" Nodoka asked as her gaze wandered around the thicket.

"_Yes. For every one person a Witch has killed, they are able to create a Familiar."_ Sanbey stated. _"Since you are new at this, it would probably best to go after the Familiars first."_

"B-but how?" Nodoka questioned as she belatedly realized she didn't know how to fight.

"_First, return you Soul Gem to its true form."_ Sanbey explained. "_Next, will yourself to be a Puella Magi."_

"U-um-m, al-alright." Nodoka muttered as she will her Soul Specs back into Soul Gem form. She was starting to lose herself in her nerves. She didn't even know what it meant to be a Puella Magi.

"_I don't want to be a burden. I want to be able to stand up to my fears. I want to be able to protect others instead of being someone who needs protecting. But most importantly, I want to be someone Negi-sensei can depend on!"_

Nodoka steeled herself. It didn't matter. If she couldn't even beat one Witch, then what good would she be to Negi-sensei? For his sake she would do it. For his sake, she would be a Puella Magi!

Nodoka's body was enveloped by a purple light. When it faded she was wearing a silver breastplate, a matching miniskirt, and a purple thigh-length underskirt. Adorning her legs were a pair of armored knee high boots and on her arms were matching elbow length gauntlets. Upon her head was a silver tiara which held her Soul Gem.

The light show did not go unnoticed as several shapes began to move through the bamboo thickets. High pitched voices screeching to one another.

"Eindringling!"

"_Ergreift sie__!"_

"_Quickly! Summon your weapon!"_ Sanbey's mental voice shouted.

Nodoka felt herself react as if on some unknown instinct. Suddenly upon her arm was a large silver shield with a purple trim that was twice her width and a little less then a head shorter than her. Off of her new shield bounced one of the figures, which had tried to attack her. Four more leapt to the stunned one's side.

They were monkeys. Monkeys dressed as ninja that cycled through several martial arts poses.

"_Do not let your guard down."_ Sanbey warned her. _"While not as powerful as a Witch they are still dangerous."_

One of the ninja monkeys charged and jumped over her in an attempt to get behind hind her. Nodoka spun, back handing the monkey with her massive shield. Finishing the spin, she lashed out with her free arm, striking a monkey that tried to attack her while she dealt with the first one. A third monkey had ripped a bamboo shoot from ground and threw it at her like a harpoon. The projectile bounced harmlessly off her shield as she ran forward. The Puella Magi jumped and delivered an axe kick to the monkey's head. The poor Familiar's head was buried in the ground and it dissolved into light as Nodoka landed on its back, her weight, increased by all her armor, crushed its spine.

Nodoka turned to face the rest of the Familiars. The four remaining ninja tried to rush her all at once. Nodoka charged, her body became a streaking blur. What happened next could be compared to flies impacting a car windshield as the monkeys splattered against her shield before they dissolved into light.

"What just happened?" Nodoka asked as she blinked and looked around the grove that was now lacking in ninja monkeys.

"_You are a natural."_ Sanbey answered her.

"But I shouldn't have been able to do any of that." Nodoka pointed out. She had never been that athletic.

"_Becoming a Puella Magi comes with an increase in both strength and agility."_ Sanbey said as he hopped onto her shoulder.

"But that still doesn't explain how I did all those moves." Nodoka argued.

"_I have some theories as to why, but nothing concrete just yet."_ Sanbey told her. "_That is not important now. You should be focusing on finding the Witch."_

With that the two headed deeper into the Witch's Barrier.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

Extra Special Thanks to Iniquitus The Third for translating for me!

* * *

><p>It wasn't long before they reached the center of the Barrier. Before them stood a massive Chinese temple that left Nodoka wondering how they hadn't seen it sooner. She ran into several more groups of Familiars, each of which fell as easily as the first. She had honestly thought this was going to be more difficult.<p>

"_Are you ready?"_ Sanbey asked as he trotted up behind her. _"You may have made short work of the Familiars but a Witch is another matter entirely."_

"I'm ready." Nodoka said with a nod. She could do this.

The two of them entered the temple. The inside was almost completely bare, with the wooden floors coated in a thin layer of soot. On the far side on the room a large figure, that Nodoka assumed was the Witch, was hunched over and working on something. The Puella Magi took a step forward. Her foot kicked up a cloud of soot.

Nodoka couldn't help herself. She sneezed.

"Wer wagt es, meine Schöpfung von Kunst zu stören?" The figure roared as it turned to face them_._

After fighting all those ninja monkeys, Nodoka was expecting the Witch to be some sort of monkey. She was not expecting it to look like a giant panda bear. And she most defiantly was not expecting it to be a giant panda bear with what looked like rocket launches made from bamboo attached to its back.

_"Good luck."_ Sanbey said as it took cover behind a wall.

The Witch roared as bamboo weapons fired. Two missiles were spiraling in the air, heading right for her. Nodoka took cover behind her shield. The impact sent her skidding as the projectiles exploded in a flash of heat and light, but she was unharmed.

Nodoka charged at the Witch. Before the panda could fire another volley, she jumped and hit it with a rising knee right between the eyes. The beast stumbled back but recovered quickly. The Witch swiped at Nodoka, the impact sending the Puella Magi flying across the room.

As Nodoka stood back up, the Witch fired off two more of its rockets. The Puella Magi ran forward, this time dodging past the projectiles. She cut off her charge and leapt back to avoid another swipe from the Witch.

Suddenly, Nodoka felt pain as something hit her in the back and exploded. The blast sent her flying towards the Witch. The Witch back handed the flying girl, changing her course and leaving her slightly embedded in the wall.

"W-What happened?" Nodoka muttered as she pried herself loose.

_"The rockets changed direction."_ Sanbey stated.

The Witch roared as it fired another volley. Nodoka charged forward once more dodging past the projectiles. This time she dodged the Witch's attack by leaping over it. As the panda turned to face her, it cried out in pain as the missiles crashed into it. Idly, Nodoka noted that they were actually fireworks.

The Witch roared and leaped back. Nodoka gulped as she noticed power building in the bamboo rocket launchers.

"Das Kommen vom Neuem Jahr" The Witch roared as dozens upon dozens of rockets fired.

Nodoka eeped as she ducked behind her shield and prayed that it would hold up against the onslaught. She could feel the heat of the explosions as the noise battered her ears. When it ended she was miraculously unharmed. The same could not be said of her shield which was missing chunks of it and full of cracks.

It was then that Nodoka noticed what the Witch was working on when she first came in. It was a giant cherry bomb. A plan formed in her mind. She would only have one shot, but hopefully that would be all she needed.

Nodoka blurred as she ran toward the cherry bomb. The Witch snarled and prepared to fire off a regular volley, which was just what Nodoka wanted. She stopped on her heel and pivoted, transferring the momentum from her dash into a kick that sent the cherry bomb flying straight at the Witch. The Witch had only a second to realize what happened as its rockets hit the giant explosive at point blank.

As the light from the fireworks faded, so too did the Witch's Barrier.

* * *

><p>Haruna finally found what she was looking for, before her stood a log cabin. Now she would make the traitor <strong>pay<strong>. She was looking a little worse for wear. Her hair was matted and frayed and her eye was twitching. She charged the door, knocking it of its hinges.

Well, that was the plan anyway.

"Ow." Haruna muttered as she rubbed her now sore shoulder. It looks like she would need a new plan.

"What the hell is all the racket out there?" A voice called from onside the cabin, followed by the click of a lock being opened.

Evangeline A. K. McDowell didn't even get a chance to look outside. As soon as the blond hair girl opened the door, she got a face full of fist courtesy of an enraged manga artist.

"Ow! What the-" Eva was cut off as Haruna tackled her to the floor and bean pounding away at her face.

"You'll pay for what you did to Nodo-chan!" Haruna shouted as she wailed on her classmate. Yes, she'd _pay_. Pay for what she did to _**Nodo-chan**_. She would _pay_ with her _**blood!**_

Evangeline grabbed Haruna's wrists with a surprising amount of force. No matter how hard the manga artist struggled, she couldn't break free.

"What are you talking about?" Evangeline snapped. The blonde girl was now sporting a black eye and a bruised lip.

"You attacked _Nodo-chan_, **Vampire!** You attacked your _classmates,_ **Traitor!**" Haruna yelled. Her voice had gained a slightly unhinged quality to it.

"So that brat that calls himself a teacher blabbed, huh?" Evangeline mused as if she didn't just get ambushed.

"What does Negi, have to do with this?" Haruna snapped as she finally gave up trying to break free.

"Oh? You mean he didn't tell you about how he tried to save Miyazaki?" Evangeline snarked. The blonde girl blinked before she narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second. He didn't tell you."

"So what?" Haruna remarked her thoughts elsewhere. Negi tried to save Nodo-chan? Since Nodo-chan woke up way earlier then Makie did, he must have gotten there before Evangeline could suck her blood. Well he was a big damn hero, wasn't he? It was now official. She and Nodo-chan were sharing.

Evangeline yanked on Haruna's arms, which pulled the manga artist into a headbutt. The blond girl shoved the now dazed girl off of her. Eva flicked her wrists as she stood up, and suddenly Haruna couldn't move.

"What?" Haruna gasped as she struggled to move. It felt like her body was tied in place.

"You're lucky I can't access my powers right now. Otherwise I'd shatter you into pieces and then you would be nothing more then dust in the wind." Evangeline quipped. "Although I will be taking a sum of blood as payment for all the trouble you caused me."

"Like I'd let you!" Haruna shouted.

"I don't believe you have a choice in the matter. Hmm? What's this?" Evangeline asked as she brushed some hair away from Haruna's neck. "Ah, one of those. Interesting, it seems to be fading on its own. Clever bastard." The Vampire mused aloud.

"What are you talking about?" Haruna snapped.

"It is nothing you need to worry about." Evangeline said before she left the room and came back with a needle. "Just know it means I won't be taking as much blood as I was."

With that said, Evangeline poked a hole in Haruna's neck and began drinking the manga artist's blood.

* * *

><p>Nodoka sat in her chair reading a book she had bought earlier. She had returned back to her dorm room about an hour or two earlier. Sanbey had suggested they return home after she had fought the panda Witch. The reasons had been to give her some well deserved rest and give time for her shield to repair itself. Nodoka's hand went to the Grief Seed as she remembered the Witch's onslaught.<p>

Said Grief Seed was now in the form of a simple black hair clip Nodoka was using to keep the bangs out of one of her eyes. She figured if she could transmute her Soul Gem why not a Grief Seed? Once more Sanbey commented about how she thought of something no other Puella Magi did and praised her for being a natural.

Nodoka's gaze shifted to the clock. It was getting late. Even if Yue had an after class session with the other Baka Rangers and Negi-sensei, she should have been back by now. Haruna would have probably tried to skip out on her last class to come see her, too. Nodoka began to worry.

As if in response to her thoughts, the door opened. In walked a very red faced Yue.

"I-is everything okay, Yue-chan." Nodoka asked her roommate.

"Our classmates are idiots." Yue commented as she walked into their kitchen. She came out moments later with a large glass of tomato milk in hand.

"What happened?" Nodoka said as she closed her book and put it on the coffee table.

"Negi-sensei was feeling down today, so our classmates decided to through a party to cheer him up." Yue told her. "A _swimsuit_ party."

"R-really?" Nodoka muttered. The image of Negi-sensei surrounded by all her classmates in nothing but swimsuits made he red in face. She was suddenly feeling very inadequate.

"It gets better." Yue snarked. "Someone decided it was a good idea to remove everyone's swimsuits when they weren't looking."

"Haruna?" Nodoka guessed.

"No, actually." Yue answered her face becoming solemn. "Haruna wasn't there."

"What?" Nodoka almost shouted. Almost.

"Before class started she had come to the conclusion that Evangeline was the vampire." Yue explained before chugging her drink. "She ran out of the room screaming for blood. No one saw her again for most of the day."

"What?" Nodoka asked in shock. Why would Haruna do that? Going to attack someone you thought was a vampire was bordering on suicidal.

"She's alright." Yue quickly answered after seeing Nodoka's reaction. "I found her in the infirmary. She and Evangeline had gotten into a fight. From what I observed Haruna did more damage to Evangeline rather then visa versa."

Before the conversation could continue there was a knock on the door. Both girls stared at each other curiously. If it was Haruna she wouldn't have bothered knocking no matter how banged up she was. But who else would visit them? Nodoka got up and answered the door.

Standing in the hall was one of her classmates, Zazie Rainyday.

"Here." Zazie said with a smile as she offered Nodoka a notebook.

"T-thanks." Nodoka said with a bit of confusion as she took the offered book. Zazie bowed then left.

"Who was that?" Yue asked.

"Zazie." Nodoka answered as she sat down and began to flip through the book. Yue read it over her shoulder.

"Those are the notes from today's classes." Yue observed.

Indeed, the notebook was filled with notes. Extremely well taken notes at that, which was rather strange. Zazie was sometimes referred to as the sixth Baka Ranger what with her grades barely passing by a point or two. These notes looked like they were written by a straight A honor student.

"Hmm? What's this?" Nodoka asked.

On the last page of the book a phrase was written that Nodoka couldn't decipher.

_Willkommen in der Familie._


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

* * *

><p>"<em>A-are you sure this is a good idea?"<em> Nodoka thought to Sanbey.

Currently, The Library Trio plus one were heading to class. The plus one was Sanbey, who was riding on Nodoka's shoulder.

"_It is not a bad idea."_ Sanbey replied. _"There is always the chance one of your classmates could have potential."_

Nodoka and company entered the classroom. Since they came before _**The Stampede**_, only a few other girls were there. The only classmates present were Ayaka Yukihiro, Chao Lingshen, Satsuki Yotsuba, Chizuru Naba, Natsumi Murakami, and Zazie Rainday.

"_That is interesting."_ Sanbey stated.

"_What's interesting?"_ Nodoka asked as she took her seat.

"_There is a soul without a vessel."_ Sanbey told her_. "It is hovering above one of the seats in the front."_

"_Y-you mean a g-ghost?"_ Nodoka thought with a shudder.

"_What is a g-ghost?"_ Sanbey questioned as he leapt off Nodoka's shoulder and onto her desk.

"_U-um, a ghost is the spirit of a dead person left behind do to that person having regrets and or unfinished business among the living."_ Nodoka explained.

"_Fascinating, I had always thought the Soul died along with its vessel. To be kept intact by lingering regrets, emotions are truly powerful things."_ Sanbey told her as he stared at empty space. Nodoka assumed that was where the ghost was.

"Hello! Earth to Nodo-chan!" Haruna's voice called out as snapping fingers suddenly filled Nodoka's vision.

"Huh?" Nodoka gasped as she looked at her friends, who were looking at her in concern.

"Are you alright?" Yue asked. "Maybe you shouldn't have come to class today."

"I'm sure she's just psyching herself up to woo Negi-sensei!" Haruna said with a thumbs up. "She even went the extra mile and spruced herself up!"

"Wh-what…I…" Nodoka stuttered in confusion. Her hand went to cover her face when realization struck her. She was wearing her Soul Specs and the Grief Clip.

"What nonsense are you speaking of now, Saotome?" Ayaka questioned. "A gentleman such as Negi-sensei would never indulge in such scandalous acts with a student!"

"I don't think you really have much room to talk about such things, Iincho." Natsumi muttered.

"It is because Negi-sensei is such a gentleman that we would indulge him." Haruna countered. "In those western stories that Negi-sensei no doubt grew up with, did the fair maiden not reward the shining knight that saved her from the monstrous beast with a kiss?"

"What are you talking about, yo?" Chao asked from where she and Satsuki were cooking. "By the way, today's first batch is done. Get 'em while they're hot, ne!"

"Word on the grapevine is that Negi-sensei saved Nodo-chan from the vampire." Haruna explain as she purchased a meat bun. "What better way to offering thanks then to offer him to have his way with our virginal bodies? Hmm. This is delicious."

"Since when do you have a virginal body?" Misora quipped as she and the twins entered the classroom. Each of them was carrying a small sack.

"And what do you mean 'our'?" Fuuka asked as the Pranking Trio purchased some of Chao and Satsuki's buns.

"Negi-sensei saved Nodo-chan from the vampire. I want to thank him, simple as that." Haruna answered before finishing off her food.

"I can't believe how much mileage we're getting out of this vampire rumor." Fumika stated as she began to set up crosses all around the classroom.

"Yes, normally these things only last a day or so don't they." Chizuru agreed.

The room descended into controlled chaos as _**The Stampede**_ finally happened. The classroom flooded with students, who went off into their own little groups. Each of them talking about different topics, while all of them were wondering what was with all the crosses.

They got their answer when Asuna walked into the room.

"May the power of Christ compel you!" Misora shouted as she ran up to Asuna, whipped out a bottle of Holy Water and began to unload its contents upon the papergirl.

"What the- Ah!" Asuna cried out as she tried to shield herself with her arms.

"Die, Monster! You don't belong in this world!" Fuuka yelled as she and her sister began pelting Asuna with garlic and leeks.

"I'm not the vampire, dammit!" Asuna shouted before she lost her balance and slipped on the now wet floor.

"I'm disappointed with you." Chizuru stated. "That's not the proper way to use leeks. Hold her down and I'll show you how it's done."

"_Your class certainly is…energetic."_ Sanbey observed.

Nodoka replied with a nod as she tried to ignore Asuna's screams.

* * *

><p>"Well that was one day I wish I could forget." Yue said as the Library Trio left the classroom with Sanbey trotting behind them.<p>

"Oh come on that wasn't that bad." Haruna argued. "It certainly gave me ideas for a few doujin."

"Ka-Kagurazaka-san or Na-Naba-san?" Nodoka asked.

"Asuna." Haruna answered. "Although, I had no idea Chizuru was like that. If Ako had seen that, she probably would have fainted. Where was she anyway? Is she out sick or something?"

"I heard she's in the infirmary." Yue stated as they approached their shoe lockers. "Three students from class three A have been sent to the infirmary in the past three days. Apparently, she believes that trend is going to continue and wants to be there for when our next classmate gets injured."

"Hm? What's this?" Nodoka said as she opened her locker. "A note?"

"Who's it from?" Yue asked as she exchanged her shoes.

"I bet it's from Negi-sensei asking to meet Nodo-chan alone so he can express his undying love for her!" Haruna declared as Nodoka began reading the note.

"Although that would be pleasant, the chances of that happening are rather slim." Yue stated.

"I-it is!" Nodoka eeped as her face became bright red and her breathing became rapid almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"What." Yue replied flatly.

"_I-i-is it be-because of m-my w-w-wish?"_ Nodoka struggled to think as her body began working itself into overdrive.

"_Possibly. I would not know because I never met Negi before the wish was made."_ Sanbey explained.

"Let me see that!" Haruna said as she yanked the note from Nodoka. "It says Negi wants to meet Nodo-chan alone behind the school!"

Hearing her friend say it aloud was the straw that broke the camel's back. Nodoka suddenly felt nauseous. She collapsed against the lockers as her legs no longer felt strong enough to support her.

"Nodoka!" Yue cried out while rushing to the fallen girl's side as Zazie began fanning the downed girl with a paper fan.

"What the-? Zazie, when did you get here?" Haruna asked

Zazie's reply was to give Haruna a flat stare and make a sweeping motion with her free arm. Haruna turned her head and saw that the Library Trio had attracted quite a large crowd. Luckily no 3-A girls other than Zazie were in attendance of their performance.

"Hey! Hey! There's nothing to see here!" Haruna yelled at the crowd. "Move along!"

"Wh-what should I do?" Nodoka asked as she put a hand to her chest. She finally began to get her breathing under control.

"You've got to go and meet him!" Haruna answered as she and Yue helped Nodoka to her feet. "If he went to all this trouble of doing it in secret it must be important."

"Remember, we'll be supporting you every step of the way." Yue reassured with a nod.

"Al-alright!" Nodoka said with more confidence then she was actually feeling. "I-I'll go!" With that she left to rendezvous with Negi-sensei.

"And we will watch the magic happen!" Haruna cheered as she went to follow Nodoka, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she saw that the hand belonged to Zazie who shook her head in the negative.

"I agree with Zazie." Yue spoke. "This is going to be hard enough for Nodoka as it is. If we were there she would just be even more nervous."

"Fine." Haruna relented with a pout. "I guess we'll just have to get the details from Nodo-chan later."

With that the remaining girls left.

"_It is amazing how much emotion can be caused by such frivolous things."_ Sanbey thought to no one as he went to follow Nodoka.

* * *

><p>Nodoka was a bundle of nerves as she arrived at the arranged meeting place. Looking around she couldn't see Negi-sensei anywhere. Did something happen? Was his lesson with the Baka Rangers taking more time then he thought they would? Was she early? Was this all just a cruel prank played on her by her classmates?<p>

When that last thought struck her, her breathing hitched as she felt a tight pain in her chest. Could that be it? Could this all be some sort of sick joke? Her classmates could never do something that mean to her, could they? She never thought one of her classmates could be a vampire and would attack her, but that happened. Idly, Nodoka noted black streaks swirling in and out of her vision.

"Miyazaki-san!" A voice called out. "Are you alright?"

Nodoka turned around and felt relief flow through her. Heading straight for her was Negi-sensei, who was carrying the same staff he used to protect her from Evangeline. As he approached she wasn't sure what came over her. Suddenly, Nodoka had caught him in a tight embrace.

"Yes, I'm alright." Nodoka whispered in his ear as she felt a single tear flow down her cheek. "Now that sensei is here, I'm alright."

She wasn't sure how long she had held him, but when she finally let go it felt like it wasn't long enough. Negi stood there awkwardly as if he didn't know how to react. An ermine jumped on to his shoulder and began whispering in his ear.

An ermine? Was he like Sanbey? Nodoka shook her head at the thought. This ermine had lacked Sanbey's extra ears and was talking instead of thinking. Negi looked at the ermine as it finished speaking and gave it a hesitant nod.

"Miyazaki-san." Negi said.

"Pl-please." Nodoka interrupted. "Call me Nodoka."

"Al-alright. Nodoka-san." Negi corrected. "Would you be my partner?"

As soon as Negi asked the question, light erupted from beneath them. Nodoka felt herself become filled with loving warmth. Negi-sensei wanted her to be his partner. Negi-kun actually wanted her!

"Yes!" Nodoka said with such conviction that many who knew her would have been left staring in shock.

"If you consent then make it official with a kiss!" The ermine shouted.

A kiss with Negi-kun? Yes, she could do that. Gently she placed a hand on his cheek as she knelt down to be level with him. Slowly she leaned forward. Soon she and Negi-kun would be together. Their lips were just centimeters apart and getting closer. Feeling his breathe on her lips sent a shiver through her as if enticing her to capture his mouth with her own.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

And Nodoka's world became darkness.

* * *

><p>The next thing Nodoka was aware of was that she was lying in a bed and staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking around she noticed that she was in the school infirmary. Wasn't she meeting with Negi-sensei? What was she doing here?<p>

"You're awake." Ako Izumi stated as she walked into view.

"W-What happened?" Nodoka asked as she sat up.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Ako said as a frown marred her features. "Asuna carried you here. She said she found you unconscious behind one of the school buildings."

"Um… I… we-well, I f-found a no-note in my lo-locker." Nodoka explained with a slight blush. "I-it s-said Negi-sensei wanted to meet me in private."

Nodoka felt nervous as she watched Ako fall into deep thought. Why did she tell Ako about that? Even though Ako was more of the more…mild girls of class 3-A, she was still a member of class 3-A, and all the girls of class 3-A had a penchant for blowing things out of proportion or come up with wild theories as if they were channeling the god of crack himself.

"That's horrible." Ako finally said, and Nodoka felt a pain in her chest as she waited for her classmate to go on. "That's just cruel."

"Wh-what is c-cr-cruel?" Nodoka nervously asked.

"Who would take advantage of a young girl's love like that?" Ako said, mostly to herself.

"What?" Nodoka eeped out.

"It's obvious! That note wasn't from Negi-sensei!" Ako explained. "Someone just made it look like it was from sensei, so they could get you alone. They probably waned to do this and that with you against your will, but ran away when Asuna came."

"B-b-but…" Nodoka tried to protest.

"Hush, you." Ako said as she leaned in closer. "I have to make sure nothing's wrong with you."

Nodoka stayed silent as Ako began to put her through a routine check up. Talking to her, and most likely the majority of class 3-A, would probably be a wasted effort. But she needed to know what happened! It was then that Nodoka realized something. Where was Sanbey?

"_I am in the hallway_." Sanbey told her.

"_Sanbey!" _Nodoka mentally cheered. _"Do you know what happened?"_

"_One of your classmates, the one who was… assaulted earlier came charging in."_ Sanbey explained. _"She disrupted the magic in the array the ermine drew. The discharge sent you flying into the wall."_

"_So that's what happened."_ Nodoka thought mostly to herself.

"_Yes but it should not have_." Sanbey stated. "_As a Puella Magi, even in civilian form, such a blast should not have rendered you unconscious. Even if did you should have recovered long before you made it here."_

"_So what's wrong?"_ Nodoka asked.

"_I am not sure."_ Sanbey admitted. _"That array looked well made. Her entering it should not have caused a discharge at all. I have some theories, but for now they are just that."_

"Looks like you're good to go." Ako said as she helped Nodoka to her feet. "Although, you should probably take it easy for awhile."

Nodoka replied with a nod. She had a lot to think about as she left. She was aware of Sanbey trotting besides her, although she was unaware of his gaze lingering on the infirmary.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

* * *

><p>"And when Izumi-san was looking me over, she mentioned Asuna was the one who brought me there." Nodoka finished explaining.<p>

Nodoka, Yue, Haruna, and Sanbey were walking the streets of Mahora. As soon as Nodoka had reunited with the other members of the Library Trio, Haruna dragged them off to town to celebrate what she called 'the joining of Nodo-chan and Negi-sensei!' On the way to town, Nodoka began explaining what had happened, leaving out the supernatural details.

"That better not become a habit." Yue muttered.

"How did she even know you were there?" Haruna wondered aloud.

"Maybe one of the other students told her." Yue guessed. "There were quite a few witnesses to our little drama."

"Yeah, but why would they tell her? She isn't exactly Ms. Popular." Haruna pointed out. "Maybe she really does have a crush on Negi-sensei and was watching him from afar?"

"Doubtful. She still has that crush on Takahata-sensei." Yue countered. "Besides, she's way too brash to do something like that."

"Exactly! She's hotheaded enough to outright cock block any girl that goes after a man she fancies." Haruna suddenly paused. "Is cock block the term used when the genders are reversed or would it be cu-"

"Ca-Can we please not talk about this?" Nodoka interrupted as they entered a book store.

"Okay, fine." Haruna relented before grabbing Nodoka and dragging her to the more adult section of the store.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Nodoka asked as she was pulled. She wasn't offering any resistance.

"Since Negi-sensei wanted to meet you alone, it's obvious he's nibbling at the bait." Haruna explained as she took some books off of the shelves. "Now we need to teach you how to get him hooked and he'll be wrapped around your finger!"

Nodoka took a second to process that. Her face turned red as her mind was assaulted with images. Images of her and Negi-sensei doing this and that. Images of Negi-kun worshiping her like a goddess. Images of Negi-

"_You have a vivid imagination."_ Sanbey stated, which snapped Nodoka out of her perverted thoughts.

Looking around she noticed that her friends where no longer besides her. She found them at the checkout counter, where the cashier was giving them a bit of trouble.

"Look, you're clearly not old enough to buy these." The teenage boy who was at the most a year older then the girls stated adamantly.

"And we need them for important research!" Haruna shouted.

"And I don't care." The teenage boy stated. "No means no!"

Nodoka saw a look on Haruna's face she never saw before. It looked almost…seductive.

"Is it getting a bit warm in here?" Haruna said as she undid the top button of her blouse. "It's a bit unnatural for this time of year isn't it?" Her fingers slide down to the next button, undoing that one as well.

"Perhaps the manager was feeling a bit of a chill?" the teenage boy answered. The sweat on his forehead showed that he too was feeling some heat.

"But to turn it up so high?" Haruna asked as a third button was undone revealing an ample amount of her cleavage.

"I-if you want I-I could turn it down some." The teenage boy stuttered.

"Oh no! We wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your manager. "Haruna said as she undid a fourth button, revealing the rest of her cleavage and a little bit of her bra. She then leaned forward and rested her arms on the counter which give the cashier a full view of what she unveiled. "So~o, about those books?"

"Oh, yes of course." The teenager said as he seemed to forget his earlier stance on that argument. "Th-that'll be six thousand six hundred yen."

"Oh! Don't think I have that much on me." Haruna said with a pout. "Just let me check." Haruna went to pull out her money only to 'accidentally' spill it all over the floor. "Oh how clumsy of me!" Haruna exclaimed as she went to retrieve the scattered yen. As she bent down she 'accidentally' hooked the back of her skirt with a finger which gave not only the cashier but also Nodoka and Yue an eyeful of her rear.

"Did I say six thousand six hundred? I meant four thousand four hundred." The teenage boy 'corrected'. As if in response, Haruna's toosh began to wiggle. "Si-Silly me, I meant two thousand two hundred!" he teenage boy stuttered. Haruna, who finally picked up all her money, turned as she stood up which let the cashier she her breasts bouncing playfully. "One thousand! They're only one thousand yen!"

"Oh thank you!" Haruna said as she paid for the books. When the cashier went to hand her the bag containing the books, she grabbed his head and pulled him in. She kissed him once on each cheek and both times her lips just barely brushed against the side of his. "See you around, Sweetie!" Haruna blew him a kiss as she and the other girls left the store.

"What. The hell. Was that?" Yue demanded, as her face betrayed no emotion.

"Me putting what I had to good use." Haruna answered before grabbing both her friends by the wrist. "Now come on! There's something I want to show you!"

With that said Haruna began dragging away an indignant Yue and a Nodoka who was desperately trying not to have naughty thoughts about one of her best friends.

* * *

><p>Haruna eventually lead them to an old abandoned building at the edge of town. The building was surrounded by a field of dandelions while the building itself was boarded up except for a large gap in the door.<p>

"Isn't this that place where a schoolgirl was rumored to be killed around sixty years ago?" Yue asked as Haruna dragged them inside.

The inside was much less inviting then the outside. It was dark and dank. Everything was coated in layers of dust and the floors creaked with every step they took.

"Maybe." Haruna answered as she pulled her friends up the stairs. "Come on it's this way!"

"I-I've got b-bad feeling about th-this." Nodoka stuttered as they entered a washroom. It was filled with mold and part of the wall was missing, which revealed several old and rusty pipes.

"Okay! What is going on?" Yue demanded as Haruna let go and walked over the exposed pipes. "You've been acting strange even for you!"

"Well, I _figured_," Haruna began to say as started trying to pry one of the pipes loose, "as long as there are people like **Asuna**- grr," She grunted as pulled harder. "_constantly_ getting in _**the way**_, we'll end up being all _**alone**_ in the _long run_. Ah!" She had successful pulled one of the pipes free. "So it would probably be **best** if we all _died_ _**happily**_ **together **now, instead of suffering years of **grief** and _misery." _She turned to face her friends with a psychotic grin on her face.

"What!" Yue yelled in shock.

Haruna's response was to charge at her. Nodoka shoved her friend out of the way which caused the rusty pipe to strike her shoulder instead of her friend's head.

"Run!" Nodoka yelled as her body hit the floor and she clutched her shoulder in pain.

"But-" Yue tried to protest but was forced back as Haruna swung at her again

"Please!" Nodoka pleaded as she grabbed Haruna's ankle casing the insane girl to trip. "Get help!"

Yue hesitantly nodded before running off. Haruna turned around and struck Nodoka's wrist with her weapon, which freed her from the shy girl's grip.

"That's so _sweet,_ _**Nodo-chan**_!" Haruna said as she stood over Nodoka, who was still on the floor and now clutching her wrist in pain. "To _want_ it to be just the two **of us." **Haruna gripped Nodoka's hair with her free hand and pulled the downed girl off the floor. "It's a _bit_ **selfish** to leave **Yue-chan** out, _though_."

"_When did Haruna-chan get a tattoo?"_ Nodoka found herself wondering. Haruna was holding Nodoka's head level with her chest, giving Nodoka a clear view of the strange mark on Haruna's right breast.

"_It is a Witch's Kiss!"_ Sanbey's mental voice shouted. _"A Witch is influencing her actions."_

"Do you like them, _**Nodo-chan?**_" Haruna asked as she mistook Nodoka studying the Witch's Kiss as her eyeing something else. "I guess its _okay_ since _**Nodo-chan**_ is _**Nodo-chan**_!" The insane girl pulled her captive's head into her cleavage.

"_Although it seems her emotions are causing some interference." _Sanbey stated.

"_H-How do I-I save her?"_ Nodoka asked as she struggled to free herself from her friend's smothering marshmallows.

"_You have to kill the Witch."_ Sanbey told her. _"I have already found the barrier. It is one floor above you in the room with all the blood stains."_

"_**Nodo-chan**_ sure loves **Paru's** body!" Haruna stated as she mistook Nodoka's struggles for nuzzling. "But _now_ its time to **end it."**

Haruna released her grip on her captive. The sudden lack of resistance caught Nodoka off guard and she found herself lying on the floor once more. Haruna raised her weapon to strike, but Nodoka hook her legs around Haruna's and twisted, which caused the manga artist to slam into the floor. Nodoka got up and ran, transforming into her Puella Magi form as soon as she was out of sight.

"_I'll save you, Haruna!"_ Nodoka thought as she hightailed it to the Witch's Barrier.

* * *

><p>Ladders.<p>

The Witch's Barrier was filled with ladders. All of them precariously perched on top of each other forming various towers and scaffolds. Nodoka could barely make out something that was not a ladder near the very top. Obviously there was nowhere to go but up.

Nodoka didn't waste time climbing the ladders. Instead she decided to see just how high she could jump while in Puella magi form. She leaped up and grabbed a ladder rung at the height of her jump. Looking back she saw she was now about thee stories above the ground. Jumping was defiantly going to be fast then climbing.

Nodoka made her ascent jumping from ladder to ladder for several minutes. She met no resistance until she was half way to the top.

"Es scheint, wir haben Zuschauer."

"Lasst uns ihr das Eröffungsakt zeigen."

From above descended what Nodoka assumed where the Witch's Familiars. Hanging from several strings were what looked like two wooden puppets with missing legs, claws instead of fingers, and had their heads on upside down.

One of them swung towards Nodoka only to bounce back as she summoned her shield. Nodoka jumped to another ladder as the second puppet tried to attack her from behind. The first one tried to attack again, but Nodoka leaped and stomped on its face, sending them both into a free fall.

The puppet she was on suddenly jerk, knocking Nodoka off of it as it stopped suddenly. The Puella Magi caught a ladder rung before she fell too far. The sudden move caused the ladder tower to wobble. Looking up, she saw both Familiars coming at her at once. Nodoka's form blurred as she jumped to meet them with her shield at the ready. The impact sent both puppets flying as the maneuver brought Nodoka back up to the halfway point.

The puppets' strings acted like bungee cords, snapping back after being stretched taut, which sent the Familiars flying at Nodoka at an even greater speed then before. The first one managed to strike Nodoka with a flying tackle sending her crashing into on of the ladder towers. The second one wasn't so lucky as it impale itself on ladder. The unfortunate puppet dissolved into light.

The remaining puppet moved to attack Nodoka as she was getting up, but she back handed it with her shield. The puppets head cracked open from all the abuse it received and joined its partner in oblivion.

Nodoka dismissed her shield as she continued her ascent as her massive weapon would only have gotten in the way. Just a little bit more and she would be at the Witch and Haruna would be returned to normal.

* * *

><p>Yue panted as she ran down the halls. She had to get out of here. She needed to get help.<p>

For the first time she could remember she was terrified. Out of her friends she was always the calm one. She was the buffer between Haruna's abrasiveness and Nodoka's nervousness. The sudden emotional extreme she was feeling was leaving her feeling more drained then she should be.

Yue muttered a curse as she tripped at the top of the stairway. She managed to grab on to the railing and stop herself from taking a nasty spill. Mentally she was cursing herself. She had noticed Haruna's sudden change of demeanor at the store, but had mainly attributed it to Haruna being Haruna. Perhaps if she realized something was wrong sooner, Nodoka would still be alive.

Her breathing hitched as tears streaked down her face. Yue wasn't delusional. She knew Nodoka's chances were slim. Yue hated herself. If she had gotten out of her shock sooner, Nodoka wouldn't have sacrificed herself and they both could have gotten out of here together. But now she was alone and had to get out of here to prevent Nodoka's sacrifice from being in vain!

"There you are, **Yue-chan**!"

Yue froze in place. Slowly she turned her gaze upward. She spotted Haruna leaning over the railing near the top of the stairs Yue had just descended. The psychotic girl was cheerfully waving at her.

"Now you wait _right_ there and I'll be with **you **in a _moment!_" Haruna called out before she began to descend the stairs.

Yue bolted as fast as she could, which admittedly wasn't that fast. Already she could feel her body burning in protest. She ignored the pain as her goal was insight. As soon as she crossed through that threshold she could go for help. She. Was. Almost. There!

"AAH!" Yue cried out in alarm as the floor gave way beneath her when she was just three steps away from the door. She impacted the floor of the basement with a painful thud. "No." she whimpered. She had been so close.

"Are _you_ alright?" Haruna asked as she peeked down the hole Yue made. "Too bad! Don't worry, **Yue-chan**! Soon we'll _all_ be out of our misery!"

Yue tried to move but a sharp pain from her ankle stopped her. She must have broken it in the fall. The normally stoic girl laid there crying in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Nodoka-chan."


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

Extra Special Thanks to Iniquitus The Third for translating for me!

* * *

><p>Nodoka took in the sight before her as she reached the top of the Witch's Barrier. It was a stage. The scene was of the World Tree Plaza completely with a tree that went above the backdrop of the stage. Cautiously, she looked around but couldn't see the Witch anywhere.<p>

Suddenly a figure emerged from behind the tree. The figure was dressed like a Kabuki actor with long colorful flamboyant robes and had six arms. The figure had long wild and unkempt hair. The figure's face was covered in lines of red paint and seem to have an eternal smile

"**Okuni"** an echoing voice boomed from nowhere and everywhere at the same time as the Witch suddenly brandished weapons and posed. Two arms wielding swords where pointed at the sky, while another two arms held maces that it held to its sides and the last two arms held lances which were pointed right at Nodoka.

"Schaut, einer der Tänzer hat es bis zum letzten Akt geschafft." The Witch spoke in the voice of a woman pretending to be a man before its head rotated, revealing another face that was hidden under its hair, this one with purple lines of paint on it and perpetual frown. "Lasset uns diesem Mädgelein zeigen, wie diese Tragöde aller Leben endet!" The head rotated once more to reveal a face with lines of blue paint on it and an expression frozen in rage. "Verraeter des Endes! Du wirst sterben!"

With that declaration the Witch charged and thrust one of its lances at Nodoka. The magical girl barely managed to get her shield up in time. The impact pushed her back some but she was completely unharmed. Undeterred, the Witch stepped forward and thrust with its other lance, which met the same results. The Witch continued the assault until Nodoka realized that her feet where barely on the stage.

The Witch reared back and gave one final thrust. Nodoka hopped straight up over the attack and landed on the lance before the witch could pull it back. The Witch tried to knock her off with its other lance, but Nodoka's form blurred as she crashed her shield into its face. Using the Witch's head as a fulcrum Nodoka flipped over the Witch and the momentum of her charge brought her to the center of the stage.

The Witch screamed in a mix of rage and pain as it turned to face Nodoka. Its head rotated once more so the red happy face showed. The Witch smashed its maces together with a loud echoing clang before it charged at Nodoka again. Nodoka blocked its first strike but the impact left her bones shaking. Not wanting to feel that again she opted to dodge the next several strikes.

An opening came when an overhead strike wedged one of the Witch's maces into the floor. Nodoka's form blurred as she went to ram into the Witch's head again, but she was knocked out of the air by the second mace. Nodoka ignored her rattling bones and landed in a roll. As soon as she was upright she charged and struck the Witch in the back while its focus was on freeing its weapon from the floor, which Nodoka's attack just knocked loose.

The Witch let out an ear splitting shriek that brought Nodoka to her knees as it picked up the fallen mace. As the terrible noise ended Nodoka noticed the set was different. It was still the World Tree Plaza but everything was in ruins and the tree on the stage was dead and lifeless.

The Witch's head rotated again to the purple frowning face. The Witch charged with both swords held high. It brought both down in an overhead strike. Nodoka raised her shield above her to block. The Puella Magi was caught completely off guard when one of the Witch's maces stuck her from the side. The impact sent her crashing into the dead tree.

A clattering noise brought Nodoka's attention to the fact she no longer held her shield and that it was currently on the edge of the stage. Nodoka desperately ran for her only means of defense, but had to stop and shield her face as one of the Witch's lances pierced the stage in front of her and sent wooden shrapnel flying.

"Guh!" Nodoka gasped as she was struck in both her front and back by the Witch's maces simultaneously. Nodoka slumped to the floor as the Witch stopped crushing her between its blunt weapons. "Aaaaaah!" Nodoka shrieked in pain as the Witch began assaulting her with all six weapons at once. She was helpless before the relentless onslaught of the Witch. She was unable to dodge. She was unable to block. She was unable to even get her bearings.

Eventually a blow from one of the maces sent her flying off the edge of the stage. Nodoka crashed through several ladders before one managed to stop her fall at around the half way point. Slowly Nodoka forced herself to stand. She was a bloody mess. She couldn't move her left arm. The armor of her Puella Magi form was the only thing that kept the Witch's barrage from killing her.

Looking up, Nodoka forced her body to move out of the way. From above, the Witch smashed through the ladder Nodoka was just on. Nodoka jumped to a lower ladder as the Witch smashed where she just was with a mace. The game of cat and mouse began, Nodoka having to dodge the Witch's attacks and each missed strike smashed through a tower of ladders.

Inside, Nodoka was panicking. There was no plausible way for her to beat this Witch. She had to run away. But if she didn't kill the Witch then Haruna would still be under its control. If she left the barrier her friend would try to kill her again, and Nodoka wasn't in any condition to defend herself.

As Nodoka reached the bottom of the Witch's Barrier and the Witch smashed through the base of the last ladder tower something strange happened. Ladders began to fall from the sky. The Witch seemed just as confused as Nodoka as both looked up.

"Das habe ich nicht vorausgesehen." The Witch said right before it was crushed by the falling stage, apparently the ladders where the only thing holding it up.

Nodoka found herself laughing hysterically as tears of relief flowed from her eyes and the Witch's Barrier dissolved.

* * *

><p>Yue stared up at the hole in the ceiling from her position on the floor. She had stopped crying. She would have liked to claim that she accepted her fate, but in reality she was far too drained to continue the action.<p>

At the sound of footsteps, Yue turned her head to the side. Approaching her was Haruna with rusty pipe in hand.

"Poor _Yue-chan_." Haruna said in a sad voice, but the smile she wore said otherwise. "I _was_ going to **make it** quick," Haruna reared a leg back," but you've been a **bad girl**." The manga artist kicked Yue hard in the face.

"Why?" Yue managed to say as she clutched her face in pain.

"_Simple._" Haruna spoke as her smile became a fierce glare. "You abandoned Nodo-chan."

Yue felt like a thousand needles were just shoved in her heart. She didn't abandon Nodoka…did she? She was shoved out of the way. There was nothing she could do, was there? If she stayed behind would Nodoka still be a live?

"YOU! ABANDONED! NODO-CHAN! YOU! MUST! SUFFER!" Haruna shrieked. Each word was punctuated with a vicious stomp on Yue, who was slowly convincing herself that she deserved the punishment.

Haruna stopped the legwork and began to beat the downed girl with the pipe. Yue's body had acted on instinct and curled up in a futile attempt to protect itself. Yue cried out in pain as the pipe struck her arm and she could feel the bones breaking.

"Bye, _bye,_ Yue-chan." Haruna said as she raised the pipe above her head in preparation of the deathblow.

"I'll see you soon, Grandfather, Nodoka." Yue whispered as she closed her eyes and waited for death to come.

A clattering noise greeted Yue's ears. Slowly, she realized she was still alive. Upon opening her eye's she saw Haruna, who was no longer holding the pipe and a look of horror on her face.

"Y-Y-Yue-chan?" Haruna asked. Her voice no longer having the manic tint it did earlier.

"Haruna-chan?" Yue asked hopefully.

"Oh my god." Haruna muttered as she slumped to her knees. "I-I-I al-almost ki-ki-ki-killed y-you a-and N-No-Nodo-chan." She began to cry a river of tears, which rained down on Yue's face.

"Nodoka?" Yue asked. She didn't here that right did. Nodoka was…?

"Sh-She g-g-got a-a-a-aw-away." Haruna sobbed out.

Yue felt the relief rush through at those words. Then the events of the day took their toll and she passed out.

* * *

><p>"Yue!" Haruna shouted in panic as Yue closed her eyes. She only calmed down when she realized her friend was still breathing.<p>

"H-How could I do this?" Haruna sobbed.

It had felt so right at the time. It felt like killing her friends really was the best option. She was both disgusted and terrified of herself. How could attempting to murder her friends feel so natural? It felt no different then when she tried to kill Evangeline for attacking Nodoka.

Wait a second. What was it Evangeline said?

_"I don't believe you have a choice in the matter. Hmm? What's this?" Evangeline asked as she brushed some hair away from Haruna's neck. "Ah, one of those. Interesting, it seems to be fading on its own. Clever bastard." The Vampire mused aloud._

Was she not acting herself then too? And who was that 'clever bastard' she was talking about? Is he the reason she almost killed two of her precious people?

"Ha-Haruna-chan?" the voice of Nodoka called out from above.

"Nodo-chan!" Haruna answered. "Yue needs help!"

"Y-Yue?" Nodoka's voice stuttered back. "S-She's st-still here?"

"Yeah!" Haruna called back with a nod even though Nodoka wouldn't be able to see it. "She's hurt real bad!"

"W-What should I do?" Nodoka asked in an almost panic.

"Stay there!" Haruna shouted. "I'll bring her up!"

Haruna shook her head as she carefully picked up the unconscious girl. It didn't matter, at least not right now. Her friend needed help. Cautiously, she slowly moved to the upper floor as she tried her hardest to not bump Yue into anything.

"N-N-No-d-d-do…?" Haruna muttered in shock as she saw Nodoka and almost dropped Yue.

Haruna remembered with surprising clarity her actions, from flirting with that random cashier to her brutal beating of Yue. She even remembered her 'intimate' moment with Nodoka. What she didn't remember was Nodoka being the literally bloody mess she currently was.

"Haruna-chan?" Nodoka asked with a cute tilt of her head. "What's wrong?"

Haruna wanted to vomit. She just tried to kill her two best friends. That's what's wrong. Seeing Nodoka pretend it didn't happen as if she refused to believe that she was almost killed, just made Haruna feel even worse.

"Y-Y-Yue needs help." Haruna said softly. If Nodoka was delusional, Haruna wouldn't force her to see the awful truth.

Carefully the two girls edged around the hole and went for help as Haruna cursed the fact that they all forgot their cell phones.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay, Yue-chan?" Nodoka asked as she climbed into bed.<p>

"Honestly, no." Yue answered with a sigh.

Both of them were in pretty bad shape. Despite the beating she took, Nodoka's worst ailment was blood loss. The doctors had a bit of a hard time stopping the flow from all her cuts. The feeling in her arm came back while they were treating her. Yue was much worse off with both her right foot and left arm in casts.

"I can't even perform most of my duties for the club." Yue muttered. "I might not be able to go on the field trip."

"D-Don't say that!" Nodoka said, but she knew her friend was right. The field trip was in three weeks. Yue's recovery would take at least six weeks.

"Good night, Nodoka-chan."

"Good night, Yue-chan."

"_Is something wrong?"_ Sanbey asked from his position on top of the dresser.

"_It's my fault Yue's in this condition."_ Nodoka admitted. _"I couldn't stop the Witch in time."_

"_Your friend is still alive."_ Sanbey pointed out.

"_But she's been crippled."_ Nodoka countered. "_I didn't even defeat the Witch. Its Barrier collapsed on it."_

"_A Puella Magi's unique abilities are based on the wish that was granted in their contract."_ Sanbey explained. _"Since yours mentioned a desire to protect others, your unique powers are more defensive in nature, a giant shield and a dash that would be useful for intercepting attacks."_

"_But I don't have anything that can really damage a Witch."_ Nodoka reflected with a sigh. _"Its fine against Familiars, but against a Witch I'm like a mosquito."_

Wait a second. The unique powers were decided by the contract, but what about the powers that were common amongst all Puella Magi? Slowly an idea formed in her mind.

"_It could work." _Sanbey admitted. "_But you will have to wait until tomorrow to test it."_

As Nodoka drifted to sleep her dreams were filled with what ifs about her plan.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

Extra Special Thanks to Sinclair and Iniquitus the Third for translating for me!

EDIT: Fixed a translation error.

* * *

><p>Surrounding Mahora was mountain and forest. A place of nature peace and serenity, except for the occasional wild bear attacks. Most people preferred the hustle, bustle, and lack of bears of the town and would rather be there than in the forest. This makes the forest an excellent place to be if you want to avoid wandering eyes, which is exactly why Nodoka and Sanbey were heading there.<p>

"Um, Sanbey?" Nodoka asked nervously as they left the outskirts of town. "How did you know where the Witch's Barrier was yesterday?"

"_Your friend mentioned a murder took place there."_ Sanbey explained. _"Witch's tend to hang around places where crimes have happened. As soon as I heard your friend, I began looking around."_

"I see." Nodoka thought with a sigh. Maybe if she realized there was a Witch there, Yue would have been alright.

"_You have only encountered one Witch before then. It is only logical that you would not have been able to identify their patterns."_ Sanbey consoled. _"Are you sure you are alright with leaving your friend alone?" _

"Not really." Nodoka admitted. She had really wanted to stay with Yue, but the stoic girl had ushered her away.

The conversation came to a halt. For several minutes they wandered the woods in silence. Eventually the two came upon a clearing in the woods. A stream flowed down the edge and several boulders were on the far side.

"_Transform so we may begin."_ Sanbey stated as he leaped onto one of the boulders.

Nodoka did as she was told. In a flash of light, she was transformed to her Puella Magi state. With a thought she willed her shield into existence. She placed a hand on in it and imagined it changing form. The shield changed to a buckler styled shield, then a targe shield, and finally a riot shield before it returned to its original form.

"I can only turn it into other kinds of shields." Nodoka disappointingly said with a sigh.

"_I thought as much."_ Sanbey stated. _"The shield was given to you as part of the contract."_

Nodoka let out a sigh. She needed some way to actually combat Witches instead of annoy them. Maybe she needed a different approach? Nodoka knelt down and placed a hand on the ground. She was suddenly standing on an island as a pit formed around her. Moments later spikes rose up around the outer edge of the pit.

"_While interesting, I do not know how effective such attacks would be against a Witch."_ Sanbey stated.

"Only one way to find out." Nodoka replied as she returned the landscape to how it was before they arrived.

"_Shall we, then?"_ Sanbey asked as he hopped behind the rocks.

Nodoka walked over to him and saw it. A symbol made to look like a stylized snowflake.

"_Quite convenient."_ Sanbey mused.

Without hesitation she placed her hand on the symbol and entered the barrier.

* * *

><p>Haruna let out a sigh.<p>

The answers she was looking for were just behind this door. But should she open it? She could just walk away and pretend those horrible things didn't happen, just like what Nodo-chan was doing. But that wouldn't be fair to Yue. She could knock on the door and fall down the rabbit hole, but how much could Nodo-chan ignore before she went insane and try to mimic what Haruna herself did?

"Gah!" Haruna growled. Her indecision made it difficult to keep her temper. She ended up slamming her fist against the door out of sheer frustration.

…Wait a second…

"Greetings." Chachamaru greeted as she opened the door. "Is there something you wanted, Haruna-san?"

"Um, yeah." Haruna admitted sheepishly as her choice was taken from her. "I need to speak with Eva-san. It is really important."

"Master will not pose so you can draw nude pictures of her." Chachamaru said with a slight edge to her voice.

"It's nothing like that!" Haruna protested. Was her reputation really that bad?

"Then please come in and have some tea." Chachamaru said as she led Haruna inside. "Master will be with you in a moment." Chachamaru seated Haruna at the table and served her a cup of fresh tea, before heading up stairs.

Haruna stared into her cup and grimaced as she saw her reflection. In her cup was the image of how she was yesterday, laughing mad and covered in her friends' blood.

"Gods, I finally get a day to sleep in and this happens." Evangeline complained, which knocked Haruna out of her thoughts. "Oh, it's you again. Come to give me another black eye, have you?"

"I came to get help, actually." Haruna said with a seriousness that would have shocked most who knew her.

"Why should I help you?" Evangeline asked with a raised brow. "Don't forget, you wanted to kill me just the other day."

"PLEASE!" Haruna shouted as she stood up. She ran over and grabbed Evangeline by the shoulder and began to shake her violently. "I need your help!" tears leaked from the artists eyes.

"Get off!" Eva commanded as she shoved Haruna to the floor. "Why are you so desperate anyway?"

"I tried to kill Yue and Nodo-chan!" Haruna answered as she broke down into hysterics. Evangeline snapped her out of it with a good hard slap. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Evangeline responded. "Now explain."

"Well, Nodo-chan found a note from Negi-sensei that said he wanted to meet her alone. So, Nodo-chan went to meet him and they almost kissed, but then Asuna showed up and Nodo-chan ended up in the infirmary. We went to town and Nodo-chan explained what happened and then I decided the best thing to do would be if we all died together then and there, so I lead them to the old abandoned build where a student was murdered like sixty years ago and I molested Nodo-chan and broke Yue's arm before I snapped out of it." Haruna explained before taking several rapid deep breathes.

"I see." Evangeline said with a thoughtful expression on her face. "But why come to me?"

"Be-Because I remember you saying something about a bastard when I attacked you and thought you knew what was going on." Haruna admitted.

"Take a seat. We have much to discuss." Evangeline said as she sat at the table and pored herself some tea. As soon as Haruna took her place at the table she continued. "What do you know about magic?"

"I know you're a vampire" Haruna stated.

"So not much at all." Evangeline commented. "Then let me explain…"

* * *

><p>Snow. Snow as far as the eye could see. The problem was there wasn't much else to see. The Witch's Barrier was a barren wasteland devoid of life and movement except for stray flakes that descended from the sky.<p>

"Um, wh-where should we go?" Nodoka asked nervously. Even if this was only the third Barrier she entered she could tell something was seriously wrong.

That was when she heard it. It sounded like rattling chains. Nodoka looked around but she couldn't see anything but the snowy waste land. Nodoka began to feel uneasy. The noise was steadily growing louder and more violent. She began to panic as her mind wondered what could possibly be making that horrible clatter.

And then a bunny popped out of the snow.

It looked like an ordinary white furred bunny. The only difference was that its ears were replaced with icicles. Soon another bunny popped out of the snow. Followed by another. And another. And another.

Soon, Nodoka found herself facing what must have been at least a hundred of the mutant rabbits. It suddenly dawned on her that the sound she had been hearing this whole to was the chattering of their teeth.

One bunny pointed its icicle ears at Nodoka and lunged. The Puella Magi summoned her shield. The bunny collided with it and a resounding clang echoed throughout the Barrier. As if that was a signal, every bunny lunged at her. Nodoka hid behind her shield. The force of the bunny horde, while not enough to break her shield, knocked her to the ground.

"Ah!" Nodoka cried out in shock as her bare skin made contact with the freezing snow.

Nodoka's form blurred as she shot straight into the air. The bunnies that were on top of her were sent flying through the air. The magical girl hit the ground running. There was far too many of the Familiars to fight. She needed to find the Witch.

Nodoka was forced to constantly change course as more of the bunnies popped up in her path. Eventually she realized they were herding her somewhere. But why? There was nothing here but barren snow. Why didn't they all just rush her and overwhelm her with their numbers?

Suddenly and without warning, Nodoka fell through the snow. The bunnies stared at where she had been before one by one they silently faded back into the snow. Soon there was no evidence of Nodoka having ever entered the Barrier at all.

* * *

><p>"So that's why you attacked Nodo-chan?" Haruna asked for clarification after taking another sip of tea. It had a bit of a strange taste to it, but wasn't that bad. "To try and get Negi-sensei out and alone?"<p>

"Yes." Evangeline replied as Chachamaru poured her another cup of tea. "Admittedly, I could have taken what I needed right then and there, but after fifteen years of imprisonment I found myself enjoying the role of the Gospel of Darkness a little too much."

"I gotta admit that this is a lot to take in." Haruna thought aloud. Evangeline's overall explanation had been thorough. Sure she skipped some details on the politics and nuances between the different styles, but Haruna doubted she would have fully understood those anyway. "So, you'll help me?"

"I never said that." Evangeline replied.

"What?" Haruna cried out in shock. "Why?"

"Because there's nothing I can do." Evangeline admitted, although somewhat reluctantly.

"Come on!" Haruna pleaded. "There's gotta be some sort of spell or charm or something that you can teach me so I can protect myself?"

"No, there isn't." Evangeline stated bluntly. "What you have been affected by is referred to as a Witch's Kiss. The only cure for it is for someone to kill the caster."

"So what you're saying is…"Haruna trailed off.

"Your friends would be dead if it wasn't for some passing mage." Eva finished.

"But what about before?" Haruna questioned. "You said it was fading on its own when I tried to kill you."

"The school uses me as its guard dog." Evangeline stated before she took another sip of tea. "I've killed plenty of Witches over the years. They probably wanted it to look like I killed you in cold blood, and try to force the headmaster to put me down like a rabid dog."

"So there's nothing you can do for me?" Haruna asked once more. "Teaching me how to use magic won't help me build up a resistance?"

"Hardly." Evangeline scoffed. "That would only make you even more of a danger to everyone. You would go from being a psycho to a psycho that can use magic." Evangeline took another sip of tea before continuing. "Witch magic puts a big emphasis on emotions. As long as you're so open with yours, you will always be an easy target. To put it in terms you can understand, a Tsundere is far more vulnerable then a Kuudere."

"I see." Haruna replied with a sigh before she finished her tea. "Sorry for wasting your time."

* * *

><p>"Ouch." Nodoka mumbled as she rubbed her now sore rump.<p>

She had fallen through a hole hidden in the snow and was now in a very spacious cavern. Unfortunately, the cavern was coated by a sheet of incredibly hard ice. Nodoka stood up and began to look around. Icicles hung from the ceiling and came up from the ground in frozen mimicry of stalagmites and stalactites. This had to be the center of the Barrier, so where was the Witch?

That was when she found it. In the center of the ceiling was a giant snowflake that looked like it was being impaled by the icicles. Nodoka found herself blushing as she spotted what looked like a naked woman crucified to the snowflake. The woman's ankles and wrists seemed to have melted into the snowflake. The woman locked eyes with Nodoka and then began to sing.

"Oh mein liebliches Kind, warum wanderst du so? Die Sicherheit deines Hauses hast du verlassen. Der Tod schleicht näher, die Bestien jagen ihre Beute. Dort draussen ist kein Platz, wo du sicher spielen kannst. Komm her, Kind, lass mich dir Schutz geben. Dann können wir für immer und immer zusammen sein."

As the woman sang, the snowflake began to change colors and became a hypnotic aurora. Nodoka was completely mesmerized by the beautifully display that lovingly caressed her senses. All thoughts of bring harm to the Witch had left her mind.

"_Nodoka!"_ Sanbey mentally shouted.

The magical girl snapped back to her senses. Nodoka began to panic when she discovered she was frozen from the waste down and the ice was steadily climbing higher. In desperation she slammed a hand against the ice and willed it to change. Suddenly the ice surrounding her became a spear, which Nodoka threw at Witch. Unfortunately, it was intercepted by an icicle that fell from the ceiling.

"Oh liebliches Kind, warum kämpfst du? Willst du nicht nur für die Nacht ein Heim? Allein in der Welt, deine Freunde verraten. Gibt es eine Schuld, die du bezahlen musst?'"

Nodoka struggled to keep herself from fall under the Witch's spell once more. The giant snowflake descended from the ceiling and floated in the middle of the cavern. Lances of ice shot forth from the holes in the snowflake. Nodoka blocked them with her shield but slipped on the icy floor. Nodoka put her hand to the ground. A spire burst from the walls and headed straight for the Witch. Unfortunately it only managed to clip the edge of the snowflake, which didn't seem to bother the Witch at all.

"Oh mein liebes Kind, warum sträubst du dich? Bitte erlaube mir dir das ewige Glück anzubieten. Die Außenwelt ist kalt und grausam. Aber an diesem Ort herrsche ich."

The aurora of the snowflake shot forth in as a massive multicolored beam of light. While Nodoka's shield protected her from being directly hurt from the attack, the beam struck with enough force to slam her into the wall of the cavern. The attack held for several seconds. When it finally stopped, the magical girl was imbedded almost a foot into the wall.

Nodoka had to end this now. She didn't think she could keep her mind much longer. Focusing on the cavern, the magical girl removed a portion of the ceiling from the rest. The chunk of rock and ice slammed into the Witch from above. The Witch was pinned to the ground completely crush from the waste down.

"Oh mein liebes Kind, warum hasst du mich? Kannst du nicht einsehen dass ich dich retten wolltet? So lange wie du inmitten unter Menschen wanderst, wirst du immer allein sein."

Nodoka felt guilty as she stared at the crying Witch. Seeing the literally broken woman crying left a bad taste in her mouth. She had to do something.

"_How can you feel sorry for this Witch?"_ Sanbey asked as Nodoka pried her free from the rock_. "You saw for yourself how many Familiars she had. How many lives she had taken." _

"Oh mein liebliches Kind, erlaube mir, die Wunde zu heilen. Ich gebe dir dies als Geschenk, und gehe dann."

The Witch leaned forward and gave Nodoka a quick kiss on the lips before she and her Barrier faded.

Nodoka sat there with a hand on her lips while she wondered if that really just happened.

"_It did happen."_ Sanbey stated. Nodoka thought there might have been some disbelief in his mental voice.

She stood to leave but found herself staring at the tip of a sword pointed at her face.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own _Mahou Sensei Negima_ nor do I own _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. I do not even pretend to own them.

Special Thanks to the guys at All Purpose Negima Fanfiction Forum on TvTropes. Look up Ala Iridia to see what most of them are working on.

* * *

><p>Nodoka had no idea what to do. Standing before her was one of her classmates, Setsuna Sakurazaki. Not only did her classmate see her in her Puella Magi form but also held a sword just a few centimeters from her face. To say she was in trouble would have been a bit of an understatement.<p>

"You're Miyazaki-san, correct?" Setsuna asked as she recognized the other girl and lowered her blade only slightly.

"Sakurazaki-san, what are you doing here?" Nodoka nervously asked as she took a step away from the sharp instrument pointed at her.

"I was sent to investigate a disturbance in the woods." Setsuna explained before her eyes narrowed. "As soon as I arrived, you suddenly appeared."

"A disturbance?" Nodoka asked. Does that mean she knew about the Witch? Or had someone seen her practicing?

"Yes. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you?" Setsuna replied as she stepped closer.

"N-no. I know nothing about that." Nodoka denied as she stepped aware from her accuser.

"I doubt that." Setsuna stated as she closed the distance. "I'm going to have to bring you in for questioning. If you try to resist, you will leave me no choice but to use force."

Nodoka gulped as she broke out in a nervous sweat. She didn't want to fight Setsuna. They were classmates and while they weren't more then acquaintances, they were still girls of 3-A. On the other hand she couldn't exactly go willingly. After all, who in there right mind would believe she was hunting down magical abominations with powers granted to her by an invisible ermine in exchange for a wish?

"I'm sorry." Nodoka answered with a regretful sigh.

"So be it." Setsuna replied.

Setsuna lunged forward and swung her sword. The attack harmlessly bounced off Nodoka's shield with a dull clank. A few more swings met with similar results. The swordswoman changed tactics. She leapt over her opponent and tried to attack from above, but Nodoka rolled out of the way.

As soon as she came out of her roll, Nodoka's form blurred as she rushed towards Setsuna. The swordswoman blocked the attack with her sword, both of her arms bracing the weapon. The Puella Magi didn't stop though, her charge pushing her opponent back until she was rammed into a tree. Nodoka leaped back as the tree broke and fell to the ground. Setsuna slowly stood up and glared at her.

"Zanganken!"

Setsuna lunged forth once more and swung her blade. When the attack met Nodoka's shield, a resounding clang rang forth as if a massive gong was struck. The Puella Magi grimaced as the bones in her shield arm rattled. Setsuna frowned as she noticed her technique only left a dent in her foes weapon.

"_Such power. Is this girl really a normal human?"_ Sanbey observed.

Nodoka placed a hand to the ground and willed it to change. Setsuna hopped back as an earthen spike erupted from beneath her. The swordswoman leapt back as more spikes emerged.

Eventually, Setsuna landed in the branches of a tree. She stared at Nodoka with an analyzing gaze for several moments. A few moments later she spoke.

"Who are you?"

* * *

><p>Library Island was a massive structure that stood in the middle of Mahora's lake. Inside the hallowed halls was a massive labyrinth that contained books from all over the world. The inner layout of the building was so complex that an entire club was formed, dedicated to the sole purpose of exploring it.<p>

Yue Ayase let out a tired sigh as she hobbled across the bridge to the Library Island. She still wasn't used to walking with a crutch yet so her pace was a bit slower than she would have liked. She tried to ignore the stares she was getting and the hushed whispers around her. Maybe coming alone was a bad idea?

Yue shook her head at the thought. No, this was for the best. Even before the incident, Haruna could be hard to deal with. After what happened, Yue doubted she would be able to not panic being in the same room as her. She could have gone with Nodoka, but…

…but Yue couldn't look at her friend without remembering how she left her to die.

"Yue-san!" An older girl called from behind the counter as Yue entered the building. "The Chief wants to see you!"

"Thank you, Senpai." Yue replied before she began her trek though the maze of aisles.

It wasn't long before Yue reached the Chief's office. She gave the door a few taps with her crutch and a voice told her to come in. The office was rather cramped as three of the walls were lined with bookshelves. In the middle of the room was a mahogany desk with several maps laid out on it.

"Hello, Yue-san." The head of the Library Exploration Club greeted. "Please, have a seat."

The head of the Library Exploration Club was young man in his last year of high school. It was rumored that every one of his ancestors had been a member of the LEC since its founding. Many girls in the club may or may not have crushes on him.

"What's this about, Chief?" Yue asked bluntly as she took a seat.

"I think you should take a break from club activities for awhile." The Chief answered just as bluntly.

"What! Why?" Yue cried out in shock. "I can't abandon the club! I know I can't do any exploring in my condition, but I can still a least work the front desk."

"It's good to see you're so passionate about the club, Yue-san." The Chief stated with a smirk. "Alright, don't think of it as a vacation then. Think of it more as probation."

"Probation?" Yue parroted. "For what?"

"That stunt you pulled right before exams." The Chief answered. "Nodoka contacted me after she lost communications with you."

"Oh." Yue said with a sigh. So, Nodoka never gave up on her.

"I still don't know what you where thinking, Yue-san." The Chief admitted. "You took unauthorized people to a place you weren't even authorized to go."

"I was informed something bad would happen if my class came in last place again in the exams." Yue explained. "I figured that the legendary book said to be in the depths of this library was the best option at the time."

"But why didn't you tell anyone?" The Chief asked.

"I didn't want to burden any of the other members." Yue stated.

"That's bullshit!" The Chief snapped as he slammed his hands against the desk. "You know damn well that most of the club would have dropped whatever they were doing for the chance to explore that deep into the library!" He let out a sigh. "You know that some of the club members are pushing to have you permanently removed from the club for that stunt?"

"What!" Yue leapt to her feet in shock. She promptly stumbled on her cast and fell to the floor.

"Look, maybe this time off will do you some good." The Chief said as he helped Yue up. "Something obviously happened and it's got you pretty stressed." He said in reference to her casts. "You need to relax."

"Yes, sir." Yue replied numbly as she left his office.

* * *

><p>"Huh, what do you mean?" Nodoka asked. "It's me, Nodoka Miyazaki, your classmate."<p>

"Quit playing games!" Setsuna snapped as her gaze turned angry.

Setsuna scoffed at her foe's foolishness. Setsuna, as a bodyguard, made it a point to get as much information she could about her classmates in case they where a danger to her Oujo-sama. Miyazaki was one of the ones she confirmed to be a perfectly normal girl. The girl before her had just silently cast magic, which if she recalled correctly was a high level ability. Plus her foe moved with the confidence and grace of an experienced fighter, which was a complete contradiction to her classmate's shy and clumsy behavior.

"Please! I don't want to have to hurt you!" The imposter begged.

In a complete contradiction to her words, the ground below Setsuna's tree vanished. The swordswoman leapt from her perch as it began to fall into the hole. Setsuna gritted her teeth as she thought about her options. Despite her efforts, she couldn't get past her foe's shield. The Zanganken merely dented it.

Her musings were cut short as a giant stone pillar erupted from the ground beneath her and sent her flying. Setsuna had two choices as she reached her apex in the skyline. She could ether reveal her wings or crash. The answer was obvious to her as she reinforce her body with Ki and began to plummet. Her impact formed a dust cloud and a crater in the ground. She tried to stand but was halted as her hand that held her sword sunk into the earth.

"Ar-Are you alright?" The imposter asked as she approached her captive. Their gazes locked and Setsuna saw genuine worry in her foe's eyes. The swordswoman was stuck by realization.

Possession. It really was her classmate, but she was being controlled by someone else. It made sense. Miyazaki had a relatively weak will, so possessing her would be rather easy and nobody would ever suspect her of doing anything malicious. She would be a perfect sleeper agent. With a bit of focus, Setsuna could just barely detect someone else's presence.

"Zankūshō!"

Setsuna aimed her free hand at Miyazaki, and a bullet of Ki fired from her palm. The attack caught her foe completely off guard and connected with her face. Miyazaki fell to the ground unconscious as her armor transformed into more casual clothing. Setsuna noticed that the tiara had turned into a strange purple gem that was filled with swirling darkness. Perhaps that was how Miyazaki was being controlled?

"It doesn't matter." Setsuna mumbled as she used Ki to free her arm. She had to report this to the Dean. He would know what to do.

Without another word, Setsuna picked up her fallen classmate and the strange gem and headed towards the Dean's office.

* * *

><p>Yue let out a sigh as she stared out at the lake from the shores of Library Island. This week just kept getting better and better. What happened to her relatively normal life? Sure it was boring, but boring was far better than emotionally scarring. Maybe she should go home and spend the rest of the day in bed. At the very least, it would stop anything else bad from happening to her.<p>

"Ayase-san?"

Well that put a stop to that plan. Looking behind her, Yue saw that the speaker was one of her classmates, Natsumi Murakami.

"Murakami-san." Yue greeted as the other girl took a seat besides her. "What brings you here?"

"Well I came to try and find a play for the club's next performance, but I noticed you down here and got curious." Natsumi explained. "What happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Yue said with a sigh.

"Heh heh, yeah. I guess even though we're classmates, we still have our privacy." Natsumi admitted sheepishly. "A background character shouldn't get involved in those kinds of things." She mumbled to herself, but Yue heard anyway.

"I can't tell you everything, but I guess I can tell you some of it." Yue stated. Maybe getting some of this off her chest would do her some good? "I might get kicked out the Library Exploration Club."

"What!" Natsumi shouted. Her voice echoed across the lake. "Why? They can't just kick you out of the club for being cripp- er, handicapped! You'll get better with time!"

"Thanks for the sentiments, but that's not why." Yue replied with a mirthless smile. "Remember back before the exams? When we went missing for a while?"

"Yeah." Natsumi affirmed with a nod. "Iincho was really angry about that."

"Well, I sort of took the others to the deeper parts of the library." Yue admitted. "The rest of the club isn't too happy about that."

"But to kick you out of the club because you were helping your classmates? That seems a little overboard." Natsumi stated.

"Maybe." Yue replied as she returned her gaze back to the lake. Talking about it did seem to help, even if only a little bit. "Thank you, Murakami-san. You said you were looking for a play, right?" She asked as she stood up. "I might be able to help you with that. What genre are you looking for?"

"Originally it was romance, but after this I think a tragedy might be a bit better." Natsumi stated as she got up.

"Do you want one by Shakespeare or one that's more obscure?" Yue asked as the two headed for the library proper.

As the two continued to talk, Yue let out a small smile. Even if it was only for a moment, she could forget about her troubles.

* * *

><p>Nodoka's head was spinning as she returned to consciousness. What had happened? She remembered fighting that snow Witch. Then…she started fighting one of her classmates? Yes, she had fought on of her classmates. Looking back on it, using her magic probably wasn't the best idea if she wanted to keep it a secret. What happened after that? Sakurazaki-san had shot her with some sort of magical blast.<p>

…Wait a second.

Nodoka bolted upright as realization struck her. It was only when she bean looking around that she noticed that she was no longer in the forest clearing where the battle took place. She was sitting in some sort of office. Off to the side stood Setsuna, but there was also someone else n the room. Sitting behind the desk was a figure she thought she should recognize but a combination of her own wooziness and the light from the windows obscuring his features made it a bit difficult to say who it was.

"Finally awake, I see." The man said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Um, yes." Nodoka replied as she finally recognized the man as the head of the school.

"I know you must be a little disoriented, but I have some questions to ask you." Dean Konoe stated. "Please answer them to the best of your ability."

"A-Alright." Nodoka responded.

"Do you recognize this gem?" Dean Konoe asked her as he held up a glowing purple stone.

"Th-th-that's my-!" Nodoka stuttered as she realized her it was her Soul Gem.

"I see. Can you tell us where you acquired this gem?" Dean Konoe asked as he stroked his beard.

"I-I made a contract." Nodoka reluctantly admitted.

"Oh? What were the terms of this contract?" Dean Konoe questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Um, uh, Th-that in exchange for ha-having a-a wish granted, I-I would be-become a-a magical girl." Nodoka answered. Come to think of it, it does seem kind of silly.

"What!" Setsuna blurted out. "How could you do something so foolish?"

"Calm down, Sakurasaki-san." Dean Konoe ordered. "Can you tell us what it is exactly that you wished for?"

"You believe me?" Nodoka asked in disbelief.

"Hoho, you'll find that there are many strange things in this world if you know where to look, Miyazaki-san." Dean Konoe reassured her with a chuckle.

"Um , alright." Nodoka said with a nod. "I-I wished to no longer be a burden. To be able to stand up to my fears. To be able to protect others instead of being someone who needs protecting." Nodoka paused for a moment as her face reddened. "But most importantly, to be someone Negi-sensei can depend on!"

"Y-You made this wish after you were attacked by the vampire." Setsuna stated in realization.

"And who did you make this contract with?" Dean Konoe asked after a moment of thought.

"I made it with Sanbey." Nodoka told him.

"Hmm. I don't believe I know anyone on campus by that name." Dean Konoe admitted.

"H-he told me that only those with the potential to become magical girls could see him. I even took him to class once and no one noticed him." Nodoka explained.

"Hmm" Dean Konoe took a minute to digest this information. "Sakurazaki-san told me that you suddenly appeared. Were you by any chance fighting a Witch?"

"Um, yes." Nodoka admitted.

"Very well, then. Miyazaki-san, Sakurazaki-san, Witches have been trouble since I was just a school boy. I want you two to work together to deal with them." Dean Konoe stated.

"A-Alright." Nodoka agreed.

"Yes, Sir." Setsuna consented.

"You're dismissed." Dean Konoe said as he handed over the Soul Gem to Nodoka.


End file.
